By Taxi

All taxis in Lebanon can be recognized by their red number plates. To use their services, there are generally four options. Whichever option you choose, ensure you have enough small cash on you, as most taxi drivers are low on change (‘frattah’).

The cheapest and least comfortable option is to take a Servees, a shared taxi. Although not always recognizable as such from the outside, these are generally the least fancy cars that drive slowly and honk to draw people’s attention. To find out whether you are dealing with a Servees, put your head in front of the open car window and ask the driver “Servees?”, followed by your planned destination. If the answer is yes (mostly a nod down), you know you found one. With Servees, the driver is free to pick up and put down passengers en route. There are single and double Servees, with single Servees (2,000 LBP per person) generally taking you as far as from Gemmayzeh to Hamra. For longer distances, a double fee (Serveesein, 4,000 LBP per person) is more common. Don’t be surprised if they don’t take you to your exact destination; most Servees will drop you off at a central point in the destination area - for practical reasons or because they simple don’t know where to go. If you don’t know your way in Beirut and you do not speak any Arabic, it is advisable to stay away from Servees until you feel a bit more at home. If you are a girl or woman alone, it is highly recommended only to use Servees during daylight.

The same kind of cars used for Servees, though often a bit more fancy, deliver normal taxi services. Instead of “Servees?” you ask for “Taxi?”, although in most cases the driver will tell you. It is recommended to agree on a price before getting into the taxi and for most destinations within Beirut the driver should charge between 5,000 and 10,000 LBP. As with Servees, the more experience you have, the easier it gets.

The most trustworthy and safest option is to reserve a taxi from one of the official taxi companies. By paying a slightly higher price, you eliminate the risk of unexpected surprises. Yet, even with taxis it is advised to agree upon the fee prior to departure. Another option is to flag these taxis down from the street. Some of the companies are listed below.